Drug dealer Brandon Bilsborough jailed for rival's murder

A teenager has been jailed for life for murdering a rival drug dealer.

Brandon Bilsborough, 19, shot Mark Hillman, 26, twice in the back after luring him to a house in Everton for a deal last April, the trial heard.

At Liverpool Crown Court he was told he must serve a minimum of 25 years.

Co-accused Connor Hunt, 19, who was cleared of murder but convicted of wounding with intent, was sentenced to eight years in a young offenders’ institution.

He had slashed Mr Hillman in the cheek earlier on the day of his death.

The trial heard that in retaliation Mr Hillman drove a car at Hunt and Bilsborough.

Within two hours of the incident, Hillman arrived in Lloyd Close where he thought he was about to make a drug deal, but was fatally shot by Bilsborough who was cleared of any involvement in the earlier knife attack.

On sentencing, Judge Mr Justice Globe said though Bilsborough was only 18 at the time of the murder, he was “capable of running a significant drugs business which profited you thousands of pounds”. He added he had no doubt Bilsborough knew what he was doing when he arranged to shoot Mr Hillman.

Mr Hillman’s mother Sharon said he was a “my much-loved son, brother and wonderful father to three gorgeous girls”.

She added: “We can only hope in the very least that Mark’s death and the sentences handed out today send a strong message to anyone involved in gun crime and I hope that lives can be saved in the future.”